Samenvatting

The world’s population is consistently increasing and as such is the demand for food. Current industrial farming methods pollute the environment and are unsustainable on multiple levels. To be able to feed future populations it is necessary to look for new, efficient, and more sustainable ways to feed humans. Efforts to create alternatives to protein sources from animal origin are currently being developed and new, innovative products enter the market at a fast rate. Food that has not been used commonly in the European Union (EU) falls under its Novel Foods Regulation. This means, any novel food needs to first be approved by the EU and added to itsnovel foods list in order to be legally sold inside its borders, e.g., algae. Consumers often do not have clear expectations regarding novel food products and different drivers have varying levels of impact on a consumer’s choice to consume such foods.Algae come in two main forms: macroalgae such as seaweed, and microalgae commonly known as plankton. Most algae are very nutrient-rich and especially high in protein which makes them well-suited to use in animal protein alternatives. Furthermore, they capture CO2 and grow in abundance in the oceans around the world. However, commercial cultivation of algae has not been practiced for long and is still being researched. Before algae are legalized and produced on a large scale it is important to find out how much consumers in Europe know about their benefits as well as if consumers will accept to purchase and consume them. Studies have been conducted in Spain and the UK showing that consumers are generally accepting of algae, however, they often lack important knowledge about them. Germany and the Netherlands are two of the biggest food producers in the EU and have a big market for plant-based protein alternatives.